Anyone 5ft eat fewer than 1200 a day

mari5466 · October 2016

I am 5ft tall and I usually eat around 1,000 calories a day because I'm worried because of me height I won't lose weight eating 1200. I excercise 5 days a week and I have been trying to add more muscle to my body and I'm now getting toned. I have 5-8 more pounds to lose but im not sure if I should start eating 1200 or stick to what I've been doing and I want to know what other people my height do.

malibu927 · October 2016

You aren't going to gain muscle in a deficit. Go with the 1200 so you can fuel your body.

middlehaitch · October 2016

I'm 5'1 went from 130 lbs to a maintenance range of 100-105 lbs eating 1200 plus a minimum of 150 cals for each hour I exercised. (Usually in the 175-225 range)

There should be no reason (except medical) for you to eat under 1200 cals. Eating lower, even when exercising will have little effect on muscle development, you are probably losing more than needed. The toned look is because you have less fat covering the muscle, not that you have grown new muscle.

Up your calories, get plenty of protein (treat the MFP goal as a minimum), and eat back your exercise calories.

You may lose a little slower, .5 lbs a week on a good week, but you will like the results so much more.

Cheers, h.

Pawsforme · October 2016

I'm 4'10" and have no trouble losing on 1200 calories a day. My maintainance cals are around 1600-1650, so 1200 gives me a nice deficit.

mari5466 · October 2016

middlehaitch wrote: »

I'm 5'1 went from 130 lbs to a maintenance range of 100-105 lbs eating 1200 plus a minimum of 150 cals for each hour I exercised. (Usually in the 175-225 range)

There should be no reason (except medical) for you to eat under 1200 cals. Eating lower, even when exercising will have little effect on muscle development, you are probably losing more than needed. The toned look is because you have less fat covering the muscle, not that you have grown new muscle.

Up your calories, get plenty of protein (treat the MFP goal as a minimum), and eat back your exercise calories.

You may lose a little slower, .5 lbs a week on a good week, but you will like the results so much more.

Cheers, h.

My boyfriend has been telling me the same for a few weeks now. I am kinda going through the same journey you are, I was at around 130 and I've gone down to 120 and I want to be between 115-110. I was at one point 105 a few years ago. I dont think I could go back down to that weight. I was wondering approximately how long it took you? I get very discouraged losing .5 pound a week.

middlehaitch · October 2016

Instead of making your weight your goal, switch it up to making your body composition your goal.

I am assuming you want to look good as well as feel good and unless you get your weight tattooed on your forehead no one knows how much you weigh.

I'm not sure what you are doing for exercise, but think of starting a weightlifting programme. Don't be intimidated- you can start with Dumbbells, machines, or body weight and progress to a barbell if, or when, you are ready. Read through the programmes here and see if one fits your goals.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

You can do cardio on your alternate days if you wish.

Just remember for a strong, healthy body that looks good - you need to fuel it.
Eat as much as you can to reach your goal. With proper nutrition you could reach your goal weight at an average loss of .5 lbs a week in 3-4 months.

Cheers, h.
Wow, I used up my daily allowance of the word goal in this post. Sorry- pre glass of wine fuzziness.

Aaron_K123 · October 2016

1200 calories is what a toddler eats, even at 5' you shouldn't have issue losing weight only eating 1200 calories a day.

mari5466 · October 2016

middlehaitch wrote: »

Instead of making your weight your goal, switch it up to making your body composition your goal.

I am assuming you want to look good as well as feel good and unless you get your weight tattooed on your forehead no one knows how much you weigh.

I'm not sure what you are doing for exercise, but think of starting a weightlifting programme. Don't be intimidated- you can start with Dumbbells, machines, or body weight and progress to a barbell if, or when, you are ready. Read through the programmes here and see if one fits your goals.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1

You can do cardio on your alternate days if you wish.

Just remember for a strong, healthy body that looks good - you need to fuel it.
Eat as much as you can to reach your goal. With proper nutrition you could reach your goal weight at an average loss of .5 lbs a week in 3-4 months.

Cheers, h.
Wow, I used up my daily allowance of the word goal in this post. Sorry- pre glass of wine fuzziness.

Your right. I don't have it tattoed. Sometimes I get very OCD about my weight loss. I also do cardio and weight lifting and I've started trying different work outs.

middlehaitch · October 2016

So glad you didn't get the tattoo @mari5466.
Eat more. Keep up the work outs, and put the scale away for a few weeks. If you can't put the scale away get a weight trending app. It will even out your weight trends, TOM bloat etc.

Cheers, h.

bioklutz · October 2016

I'm 5'0". When losing weight I eat between 1600-1700 calories a day. I am pretty active. I would be very grumpy and possibly homicidal eating 1200 calories a day.

If you only have a couple pounds left to lose do it slowly like @middlehaitch suggested.

brooklyn7214 · October 2016

You should never ever eat below 1200 calories because it'll cause metabolic damage which will eventually lead you to having difficulty with losing any weight at all and your weight will stall. I'm 5'2 and even though MFP tells me to eat 1200, I don't follow that guideline. I used a professional website to calculate my calories and now I eat 1500 and am successfully losing weight.

CarolF11 · October 2016

I'm 5'1". I don't lose weight by eating 1200. I don't eat more than 1000 and still there are weeks I don't lose, but then again I also don't exercise.

Aaron_K123 · October 2016

Just to be clear, this is what 1260 calories look like. You can find lots of examples of 1200 calorie meals by looking up appropriate diets for toddlers

http://www.nourishinteractive.com/nutrition-education-printables/511-chef-solus-1200-calorie-menu-plan-for-young-kids

It is hard for me to picture any adult eating that little. I mean look at the portions.

1 8oz low fat plain yogurt
1 oz of granola with 1/2 a cup of strawberries
1 oz of wheat crackers with 1 oz of carrots
Turkey sandwich made with one slice of bread, 1/2 a cup of chopped broccoli
1 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cup banana.
1/2 cup rice 2oz of chicken breast

That is 1262 calories right there. That is basically 1/2 a small unadorned sandwich, a handful of granola, one yogurt and 1/4 of a plate of rice and chicken plus like one or two fruits or your entire day. I mean I get that makes sense for a 5 year old but for an adult?

I mean those are tiny portions and only of fairly low calorie fibery foods and fruits.

To people who say they eat 1000 calories a day I am really curious as to what you are eating because 1000 calories is like a sandwich and a glass of milk. My suspicion would be that you are under counting. Unfortunately I can't tell because I have yet to see anyone eating 1000-1200 calories having their diet public and open.

Christine_72 · October 2016

I'm hearing ya @Aaron_K123 , My dessert tonight is 771 calories

I can only get away with it because my dinner has pitifully low calories, and I'm taking full advantage with a bumper dessert!

jess427 · October 2016

I'm 4'11 my mfp daily goal is 1200 if I go over I just workout a little extra that day only on week 3 & I hv lost weight each week. I know it feels discouraging to lose .5 a week but you're so close to your goal and you gotta keep yourself healthy too because that should be 1st priority and it's true, you won't gain muscle in a deficit as someone else mentioned.

Jeyradan · October 2016

I'm 5'2" with an unusually small frame and low metabolism. I used to eat 1000 calories a day with a doctor's permission - it was totally doable, but apparently made me grumpy. Right now, I eat 1200 calories a day along with a reasonable amount of exercise.

My diary isn't public, but here's a place where you can find a lot of 1200ish-calorie days:
https://www.reddit.com/r/1200isplenty/

Also, just as an example, here's today's under-1200 meals for me:
- Breakfast: 2 Weetabix with milk and caramel syrup, vanilla meal replacement shake* with half a frozen banana blended in, strawberry jelly
- Lunch: broccoli soup, seeded flatbread with cream cheese and chargrilled peppers, raw snacking vegetables
- Dinner: vegan red lentil stew, buttered oven bottom muffin
- Snack: hardboiled egg with mustard (for protein after aikido class)
- Drinks: tea (I don't like coffee), no-added-sugar ginger beer, fruit squash, fizzy vitamin C tablet

*The meal replacement shake isn't because I need the nutrition - I could easily have something else for the same calorie value, like a couple of eggs or some avocado cheese toast or a bagel thin with butter or jam or a sultana scone. I just really like the flavour of these particular shakes!

middlehaitch · October 2016

@Aaron_K123. There are valid reasons for people eating 1200 cals.
I know you love to tell people it is toddler food but please be respectful of us more petite women who really do eat 1200 cals if we are sedentary.

MFP gives me 1200 for maintenance!
(No that isn't the amount I eat. I reverse dieted and exercise but there are some that do)

As a petite woman who successfully lost, and has been maintaining for over 6 years I am constantly talking to the more petite women about suitable calorie intake goals and exercise calories- and never advise under 1200 or not eating exercise calories

I am fully aware that losing 10lbs at 5' and 128 lbs can take 6 months of meticulous calorie counting, eating back 150-250 per hr of exercise and then seeing the scale move only 1 lbs in 6 weeks. It can be frustrating.

Please, give us some respect and don't refer to our diet as toddler food. It is insulting. It would be much better if you could offer help in solving issues with logging or exercise or activity levels.

None of the regular posters on these boards encourages under 1200 that is why you never see a 1000 cal diary.

Sorry for the rant. I am a non confrontational poster who has felt belittled twice in this one thread by your posts.

Cheers, h.

Pawsforme · October 2016

Aaron_K123 wrote: »

Just to be clear, this is what 1260 calories look like. You can find lots of examples of 1200 calorie meals by looking up appropriate diets for toddlers

http://www.nourishinteractive.com/nutrition-education-printables/511-chef-solus-1200-calorie-menu-plan-for-young-kids

It is hard for me to picture any adult eating that little. I mean look at the portions.

1 8oz low fat plain yogurt
1 oz of granola with 1/2 a cup of strawberries
1 oz of wheat crackers with 1 oz of carrots
Turkey sandwich made with one slice of bread, 1/2 a cup of chopped broccoli
1 cup low fat milk
1/2 cup cottage cheese with 1/2 cup banana.
1/2 cup rice 2oz of chicken breast

That is 1262 calories right there. That is basically 1/2 a small unadorned sandwich, a handful of granola, one yogurt and 1/4 of a plate of rice and chicken plus like one or two fruits or your entire day. I mean I get that makes sense for a 5 year old but for an adult?

I mean those are tiny portions and only of fairly low calorie fibery foods and fruits.

To people who say they eat 1000 calories a day I am really curious as to what you are eating because 1000 calories is like a sandwich and a glass of milk. My suspicion would be that you are under counting. Unfortunately I can't tell because I have yet to see anyone eating 1000-1200 calories having their diet public and open.

1200 calories can look like a LOT more food than that. I never eat granola. It has too many calories for such a small volume of food, and is usually full of empty sugar calories. IMO it's junk food. I also would never do something like wheat crackers and carrots--there's nothing there that's satiating. I might do crackers and cheese, or carrots and hummus--something with some protein and/or fat. Yes, a smaller volume of food than the crackers and carrots but much more satiating. I'd take out the rice and replace it with a plateful of veggies with a drizzle of olive oil or butter.

I assume you're a man and likely a lot taller and more muscular than us petite women, so it's understandable that it's hard for you to grasp that we really don't need all that much food. My DH had a hard time understanding how much less I need to eat than he does when we first started dating (many, many years ago!). It really isn't hard for me to do a 1200 calorie a day diet or even less. Give me 1100 and I can do quite well. Yes, I'll be hungry. But not starving or hangry.

As far as comparing it to toddler intake -- I don't know that that makes much sense. Despite raising two children to adulthood, I don't actually know what the recommended calorie intake is for toddlers. But I do know from experience that toddlers are usually very busy (active) and I'm guessing they need a relatively high number of calories just to support their little bodies' growth and development. That's a stage us adult ladies have long passed.

paperpudding · October 2016

I can see that 1200 is suitable for some adults - usually females who are small, short, older, inactive.

When I was losing weight I lost steadily on 1460 - I was 50 years old, 5ft 4 and lightly active.

It is not difficult to find someone shorter, older, less active than me and I can see that they would be right eating 260 calories a day less than me

(that was net calories)

jayeless · October 2016

Yup, I am 148cm or about four foot ten. I ate around 1140 calories of food today, am not hungry, and am about to go to sleep now. Usually I'd eat a little more, but usually I'd also go for a walk or two and I didn't get to do that today because the weather's been utterly miserable. I'm not shocked that toddlers need a lot of food relative to their size either, since they're constantly running around and their life is like a neverending growth spurt at that age.

Rosiemozo · October 2016

http://www.losertown.org/eats/cal.php
Put your details into this calculator and it should tell you a projection of future weight based on your caloric intake. I found it helpful

Anyone 5ft eat fewer than 1200 a day

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